'Till the End

Chapter One: Days Gone By

'Till the End
By: Reghan Libby

[Chapter One: Days Gone By]

Once I felt myself begin to regain consciousness, my eyes fluttered open, and I blinked rapidly.

"H-Hello?" I groaned, a sharp pain in my neck, causing my breath to get shaky for a minute. I extended my stiff arm, stretched out my wobbly feet and uncovered myself. I slid out of bed, and nearly collapsed. My body was weak and frail. My skin was pale, and my lips dry. I felt like a dead person. My hair was a mess, and it looked as if I had just rolled out of a pigsty. The lights flickered in the hallway, and I shivered as a draft hit me. I was only wearing a pair of capri sweatpants, a tank top, and white ankle socks. I was in a hospital... But it looked like it had been abandoned for quite some time. It reeked of corpses, and the smell of a metallic substance filled my nose, making me feel light headed. How long had I been sleeping? What had happened to me? I stopped in the doorway of my room, leaning against the doorframe. I cursed under my breath and shivered. I walked like a turtle, slow and steady, so I wouldn't fall over. The place was completely trashed, from what I could see so far. It was quiet. Almost too quiet for a hospital. I shuffled into the hallway, my vision going blurry or a second. I lost my balance, falling onto something with wheels. It was a hospital bed. The plastic like sheets ruffled under my weight, making a crunching sound, as if I was stepping on crisp leaves that had fallen from a bare tree in spring. From what I could see in the dim light, no one was here. It was only me.

"Hello?" I forced out a little louder. No one answered. My mind was jumbled, a million questions floating around. I knew the answer to none of them. I quickened my pace, rubbing my hands against my arms, trying to warm myself up. I sighed and headed towards the front desk to see if there was a nurse around who could help me - someone who could tell me what was going on. I looked around again, confused.

"N-Nurse?" I croaked dryly.
"Nurse?" I repeated. I craned my neck, looked down the hallway, and squinted my eyes to read the words that were spray painted on two big white double doors.

"Do not enter," I read out loud.
"Dead inside." I thought for a moment, and leaned against the wall. "But what does that mean?" I muttered under my breath.

I sighed, making my way to the front entrance. With all my might, I pushed the door open, becoming blinded by the bright light. There were no birds chirping. There where no cars cruising down the highway, on a family road trip. Nothing. I blocked the sunlight out with my hand, and stepped out into the open, taking a deep breath in. The cool, fresh air filled my lungs, making it feel like I could finally breathe again. My feet began to warm up on the hot concrete, and I automatically felt a little better.

As I kept watching, I looked around me, taking in my surroundings. I watched the empty streets that were usually so crowded that you could walk five steps in a straight line. I watched the branches on the trees sway in the wind. I watched something crawl along the grass, like a snake or a slug. It wasn't though. It was bigger. Much, much bigger. I stepped towards it quickly, but almost fell back when I saw it. It was a person... A girl, who had no bottom half. What was left of her stomach and neck was raw from pulling herself along the grass for so long. She gnashed her teeth at me, trying to bite me.

"How is this... monster, still alive?" I muttered to myself. I stumbled backwards, and let out a gasp, the air breaking free of my lungs. I yelped a bit as it reached for my foot, it's jaw slowly snapping up. I crawled back up to my feet, and slowly stepped to the side.

At the bottom of the hill, there was a bike. It was red and rusted, and it looked like the tires could use a little more air. I bent over and took the handle bars in my hands, pulling it up. Swinging my leg over, I sat on the bike uncomfortably. I put my foot on the break and began to pedal slowly. I almost fell over a few times, but I sped up.

After what seemed like an eternity, my surroundings changed drastically. I was in a small subdivision. I looked around, and jumped off the bike, running into my house. I swung the door open, turning my neck from side to side.

"Mom, dad!" I hollered, walking down the hallway. The white painted walls were musty, and the light oak wood flooring was in need of a good, clean scrub. No one answered, which caused me to worry. Rushing into their bedroom, I looked in the drawers. Most of their clothes were gone, as well as the framed photographs on the wall, and the old photo albums. They had left.

By the looks of things, people thought I was dead. From what I could remember, I was in a car accident with my friend Briana. Her brother, Adam, her, and I were going to the movies. It was dark, but we weren't worried. Then, when we were crossing the boarder, a tow truck hit is from behind. That's all I remember. I must've been asleep for quite awhile if the world changed this much.

I shook my head, breaking out of my thoughts, and slumped down on the messy bed. I rubbed my face, running my hands back through my hair. I took a deep breath in, and clenched my jaw angrily. I screamed, enraged, and threw a pillow at the wall.

They left me.
I am alone...